exponential growth

The story goes, some guy invented chess, and the Persian king wanted to reward him. The board-game creator asked for a single grain of rice on the first square of the 8x8 board, then two grains on the next, four on the next, eight, sixteen, simply doubling each time. The king laughed, but when the chief Stores clerk told the king there wasn't enough grain in the kingdom to fulfil the request, the king chose a simpler expedient and beheaded the rapscallion who dared ask for so much.

They say that population grows at a similar, exponential (aka geometrical) rate, but that food only grows additively. So it won't be long before we all starve.

On a positive note, I have a few grains of rice...


Growth challenge #1